New chronological data for the Middle Paleolithic hominin occupations at Anghilak Cave, Uzbekistan, di Y. Nishiaki et alii, "Quaternary International", volume 756, 28 february 2026, 110096

Anghilak Cave in southern Uzbekistan is one of the rare Middle Paleolithic sites associated with a hominin fossil in Central Asia. The radiocarbon dates from the 2002–2004 excavations once indicated that the hominin occupations of this site may have persisted into the Upper Paleolithic time-range (approximately 30–50 ka); we conducted additional research to verify those dates using different techniques and materials. This paper presents new sets of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates based on the samples from our renewed excavations between 2013 and 2017. The results suggest that the Middle Paleolithic layers of Anghilak are likely to be earlier than or at least close to the current limit of AMS dating, and they may go back to as early as 55–85 ka. (...)

The oldest in situ Homo erectus crania in eastern Asia: The Yunxian site dates to ~1.77 Ma, di H. Tu, X. Feng, L. Luo, Z. Lai, D. Granger, C. Bae, G. Shen, "Science Advances", volume 12, issue 8, 20 feb - open access -

With the discovery of three almost complete Homo erectus crania, Yunxian is one of the most important early Pleistocene hominin sites in eastern Asia. Yet, the age of the Yunxian fossils has remained debated because of the lack of reliable numerical dating results. Here, we apply the well-established isochron 26Al/10Be burial dating to quartz gravels from two sediment layers of the site. The age results push the Yunxian crania back to 1.77 ± 0.08 million years ago (±1σ internal error), representing the oldest H. erectus fossils discovered in situ in eastern Asia. A much older age assignment to Yunxian supports the model of rapid dispersal and widespread distribution of early H. erectus and contributes to narrowing the chronological gap between the earliest archaeology and hominin paleontology in eastern Asia. (...)

Rock art from at least 67,800 years ago in Sulawesi, di A. Agus Oktaviana et alii, "Nature", volume 650, issue 8102, 19 february 2026, pp. 652–656 - open access -

The Indonesian archipelago is host to some of the earliest known rock art in the world1,2,3,4,5. Previously, secure Pleistocene dates were reported for figurative cave art and stencils of human hands in two areas in Indonesia—the Maros-Pangkep karsts in the southwestern peninsula of the island of Sulawesi1,3,4,5 and the Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat region of eastern Kalimantan, Borneo2. Here we describe a series of early dated rock art motifs from the southeastern portion of Sulawesi. Among this assemblage of Pleistocene (and possibly more recent) motifs, laser-ablation U-series (LA-U-series) dating of calcite overlying a hand stencil from Liang Metanduno on Muna Island yielded a U-series date of 71.6 ± 3.8 thousand years ago (ka), providing a minimum-age constraint of 67.8 ka for the underlying motif. (...)

Romito 9: A new Palaeolithic burial from Grotta del Romito (Calabria, Italy), di F. Martini, D. Lo Vetro, F. Macciardi, L. Calcagnile, G. Quarta, G. De Benedetto, G. Vincenti, O. Rickards, G. Scorrano, P. F. Fabbri, "Quaternary International", volume 755, 15 february 2026, 110020 - open access -

During recent excavations at Grotta del Romito (Papasidero, northern Calabria, Italy), a new Upper Palaeolithic burial—designated Romito 9—was identified. The burial pit had been partially disturbed ab antiquo, resulting in an altered depositional context. The burial pertains to a female individual, approximately 11–12 years of age, and is associated with an archaeological layer dated to 16,129 ± 100 uncal BP (19,809–19,157 cal BP, 2σ), corresponding to the evolved phase of the local Epigravettian culture. Romito 9 presents a richly furnished burial, featuring the use of red ochre and abundant ornamentation. It represents the earliest known funerary evidence chronologically positioned between the Gravettian burials of Italy and those of the Final Epigravettian. This intermediate position underscores the continuity of complex ceremonial traditions characteristic of the Gravettian, prior to the ritual simplification documented in southern Italy during the Final Epigravettian. (...)

New discoveries of Australopithecus and Homo from Ledi-Geraru, Ethiopia, di B. Villmoare et alii, volume 650, issue 8101, 12 february 2026, pp. 374–380 - open access -

The time interval between about three and two million years ago is a critical period in human evolution—this is when the genera Homo and Paranthropus first appear in the fossil record and a possible ancestor of these genera, Australopithecus afarensis, disappears. In eastern Africa, attempts to test hypotheses about the adaptive contexts that led to these events are limited by a paucity of fossiliferous exposures that capture this interval. Here we describe the age, geologic context and dental morphology of new hominin fossils recovered from the Ledi-Geraru Research Project area, Ethiopia, which includes sediments from this critically underrepresented period. We report the presence of Homo at 2.78 and 2.59 million years ago and Australopithecus at 2.63 million years ago. Although the Australopithecus specimens cannot yet be identified to species level, their morphology differs from A. afarensis and Australopithecus garhi. (...)

Afar fossil shows broad distribution and versatility of Paranthropus, di Z. Alemseged, F. Spoor, D. Reed, W. A. Barr, D. Geraads, R. Bobe, J. G. Wynn, "Nature", volume 650, issue 8101, 12 february 2026, pp. 374–380

The Afar depression in northeastern Ethiopia contains a rich palaeontological and archaeological record, which documents 6 million years of human evolution. Abundant faunal evidence links evolutionary patterns with palaeoenvironmental change as a principal underlying force1. Many of the earlier hominin taxa recognized today are found in the Afar, but Paranthropus has been conspicuously absent from the region. Here we report on the discovery, in the Mille-Logya research area, of a partial mandible that we attribute to Paranthropus, dated to between 2.5 and 2.9 million years ago and found in a well-understood chronological and faunal context. The find is among the oldest fossils attributable to Paranthropus and indicates that this genus, from its earliest known appearance, had a greater geographic distribution than previously documented. (...)

Evidence for the earliest hominin use of wooden handheld tools found at Marathousa 1 (Greece), di A. Milks et alii, "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences", 10 february 2026, vol. 123, no. 6, e2515479123

The Middle Pleistocene (MP; ca. 774 to 129 ka) marks a critical period of human evolution, characterized by increasing behavioral complexity and the first unambiguous evidence of plant-based technologies. Despite this, direct evidence for early wooden tool use remains exceptionally rare. Here, we present the earliest handheld wooden tools, identified from secure contexts at the site of Marathousa 1, Greece, dated to ca. 430 ka (MIS12). Through a systematic morphological, microscopic, taphonomic, and taxonomic analysis of the sampled wood macroremains, two specimens were securely identified as modified by hominins (...)

New study uses Neanderthals to demonstrate gap in generative AI, scholarly knowledge, 6-FEB-2026

Technological advances over the past four decades have turned mobile devices and computers into the world’s largest library, where information is just a tap away. Phones, laptops, tablets, smart watches — they’re a part of everyday life, simplifying access to entertainment, information and each other. Ongoing advancements in generative artificial intelligence are giving these technologies even more of an edge. Whether someone asks their device where dinosaurs lived or how accelerated their pulse is, AI can get the information quicker than technology has ever been able to do. Accuracy, on the other hand, is still in question. Generative AI has the power to influence how the past is represented and visualized. Researchers across the country are exploring this phenomenon, including the University of Maine’s Matthew Magnani. Magnani, assistant professor of anthropology, worked with Jon Clindaniel, a professor at the University of Chicago who specializes in computational anthropology, to create a model grounded in centuries of scientific theory and scholarly research. They asked two chatbots to create images and narratives depicting daily life of Neanderthals and published their findings in the journal Advances in Archaeological Practice. They found that accuracy rests on AI’s ability to access source information. In this instance, the images and narratives referenced outdated research. (...)

Homo sapiens-specific evolution unveiled by ancient southern African genomes, di M. Jakobsson et alii, "Nature", volume 650, issue 8100, 5 february 2026, pp. 156–163 - open access -

Homo sapiens evolved hundreds of thousands of years ago in Africa, later spreading across the globe1, but the early evolutionary process is debated2,3,4,5,6. Here we present whole-genome sequencing data for 28 ancient southern African individuals, including six individuals with 25× to 7.2× genome coverage, dated to between 10,200 and 150 calibrated years before present (cal. BP). All ancient southern Africans dated to more than 1,400 cal. BP show a genetic make-up that is outside the range of genetic variation in modern-day humans (including southern African Khoe-San people, although some retain up to 80% ancient southern African ancestry), manifesting in a large fraction of Homo sapiens-specific variants that are unique to ancient southern Africans. Homo sapiens-specific variants at amino acid-altering sites fixed for all humans—which are likely to have evolved rapidly on the Homo sapiens branch—were enriched for genes associated with kidney function. (...)

La « pierre de Rosette » de la paléoneurologie – PaléoBrain, 4 février 2026

En s’appuyant sur un échantillon de 75 volontaires, cette étude, dirigée par Antoine Balzeau et ses collaborateurs, propose une analyse novatrice du lien entre le cerveau et l’endocrâne.​ L’objectif principal est de fournir un cadre méthodologique rigoureux pour interpréter les endocrânes fossiles et mieux comprendre l’évolution du cerveau des hominines. ​ Les chercheurs ont étudié la correspondance entre les sillons cérébraux et leurs empreintes sur l’endocrâne, en utilisant des techniques avancées d’imagerie et de reconstruction 3D. Pour une plus grande diffusion les données obtenues et les modèles utilisés sont en accès libre. Les données ont été collectées grâce à des acquisitions IRM réalisées au Centre de Neuro Imagerie de Recherche (CENIR) de l’Institut du Cerveau à Paris. ​ Deux types de séquences IRM ont été utilisées : la séquence 3D MP-RAGE pour cartographier les structures cérébrales et la séquence à temps d’écho ultracourt (UTE) pour capturer les tissus osseux. ​ Les images obtenues ont été traitées avec des outils spécialisés tels que BrainVISA et Avizo pour la segmentation et la reconstruction des modèles 3D du cerveau et de l’endocrâne. (...)

Multiple Middle Paleolithic lithic traditions in the southern Levant during MIS 6-5 and cultural variability in arid environments: insights from the site of Besor Dyka, Negev Desert, di M. Oron et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", volume 373, 1 february 2026, 109745 - open access -

The middle phase of the Middle Paleolithic in the arid regions of the southern Levant is characterized by the presence of two distinct lithic traditions dominated by different reduction sequences: the centripetal Levallois and the Nubian Levallois. A new excavation at the site Besor Dyka uncovered well-preserved archaeological layers, dated by optically stimulated luminescence to late MIS 6–early MIS 5, making it the earliest known Middle Paleolithic occupation in the Negev Desert. Stable Isotope data from the site supports this chronology and suggests a correlation with one of the Negev Humid Periods. The lithic assemblage from the site is characterized by the dominance of the unidirectional convergent Levallois reduction strategy and the systematic production of triangular end-products. These traits, commonly associated with Late Middle Paleolithic sites in the southern Levant, differ from the contemporaneous MIS 6–5 centripetal Levallois and Nubian Levallois assemblages that are found in the Negev. (...)

New U-series and coupled ESR/U-series dating of Xujiayao (northern China), the type site for Homo juluensis, di Q. Shao et alii, "Quaternary Science Reviews", volume 373, 1 february 2026, 109742

The Xujiayao site, located in the western part of the Nihewan Basin, Hebei Province, northern China, has yielded 21 pieces of archaic hominin fossils in association with numerous stone artifacts and mammalian remains. The Xujiayao hominin remains were recently used to define a new species Homo juluensis, representing a series of fossils, such as the Xuchang, Xiahe, Penghu, Tam Ngu Hao 2, and Denisova remains. Different dating methods have been used to estimate the age of the Xujiayao hominin remains since the 1970s when the site was originally discovered. Unfortunately, the proposed ages vary in a wide range, from the middle Middle Pleistocene to the late Late Pleistocene. To refine the age of this site, we present a new dating study using both U-series and coupled ESR/U-series dating methods. (...)

The Lateglacial fossil avifauna from Grotta del Romito (Calabria, Southern Italy) and the exploitation of birds by the Upper Paleolithic hunters, di L. Carrera, F. Martini, "Quaternary International", volume 754, 1 february 2026, 110083 - open access -

Grotta del Romito represents one of the most relevant Upper Palaeolithic sequences of Southern Italy, spanning the end of the Last Glacial Maximum and the Lateglacial (GS1 and GI1) and providing remarkable insights on the Gravettian and Epigravettian lifeways and symbolic behaviours. With this work, we analyse the avian assemblage from Grotta del Romito in order to clarify the dynamics of bird exploitation by the Upper Paleolithic people and assess changes in the paleonvironment due to the Lateglacial climatic shift. Based on the bird species, the surroundings of the cave were characterized by forests alternated with open grasslands, rocky exposures and riverine or marshy habitats. (...)

Variability and use of laminar products in the late Middle Paleolithic of the Central Balkans, di S. Dragosavac, A. Petrović, B. Mihailović, "Quaternary International", volume 754, 1 february 2026, 110081

The European Middle Paleolithic laminar technologies can be divided into Levallois and non-Levallois blade production. Despite the abundance of detailed publications about the reduction strategies and their differences, only a few discuss the causes of their variability. The paper addresses the variability of laminar technology from the aspect of its use, mobility, and technological organization of Neanderthal communities in the Central Balkans in MIS 3. Results of use-wear analysis of Levallois and non-Levallois laminar products are compared with metrics, frequency, and raw material procurement, as indicators of their potential for carrying and reshaping with an aim to represent the fundamental differences between curated and expedient technological strategies. (...)

Ormagi Ekhi (Georgia) and Middle Palaeolithic occupations in South Caucasus, di A. Mgeladze et alii, "Antiquity", volume 100, issue 409, february 2026, e1

New excavations at Ormagi Ekhi in Georgia have revealed long-term hominin occupations during the Middle Palaeolithic (260–45 ka cal BP). Here, the authors present an overview of data from multidisciplinary analyses of the site, highlighting its potential for widening our understanding of hominin occupations in the South Caucasus. (...)

Traces of hominin occupations in eastern Iran: Middle Pleistocene lithics from Khousf Plain in the Lut Desert margin, di S. Reza Rafei, M. Shayestehfar, Z. Bakhshandeh Pahmedani, M. Nikzad, A. Sadraei, "Antiquity", volume 100, issue 409, february 2026, e2

The discovery of cleavers and Levallois lithics around the Goab playa in eastern Iran suggests that this region holds significant potential for the study of early human societies and for investigating new hominin dispersal routes to other parts of the world, such as Eastern Asia. (...)

New prehistoric occupations identified in the eastern Iberian Plateau, di F. Javier Aragoncillo et alii, "Antiquity", volume 100, issue 409, february 2026, e3

The authors present results of a recent project that challenges the perceived absence of Late Pleistocene human settlements in high-altitude areas of inland Spain. Despite the apparent geographic and bioclimatic constraints, these areas may contain archaeological material from diverse prehistoric periods. (...)

Ochre and manganese pigments from the Middle Stone Age layers at Klipdrift Shelter, di E. C. Velliky, B. L. MacDonald, M. M. Haaland, K. L. Van Niekerk, C. S. Henshilwood, "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", volume 18, issue 2, february 2026, article number 38 - open access -

The use of mineral pigments is considered one of the trademarks of behavioural complexity during the Middle Stone Age in southern Africa. Though many sites report large mineral pigment assemblages during the Still Bay (ca. 71.9–71 ka BP) period, pigment behaviours during the Howieson’s Poort (HP; ca. 65–59.5 ka BP) are less understood in terms of mineral varieties, collection strategies, and associated practices. Though some previous work exists on the ochre assemblage from the HP layers at Klipdrift Shelter (KDS) specific aspects regarding the use of pigments at the site are unexplored, including the post-HP layers, in-situ ochre features at the site and the use of manganese-based pigments. (...)

The site of Notarchirico (Venosa Basin, Italy) and the hominin behavior in the Middle Pleistocene: New insights from taphonomy and spatial archaeology, di A. Pineda, B. Mecozzi, A. Iannucci, P. Saladié, M. Carpentieri, R. Sardella, M. H. Moncel, "Journal of Human Evolution", volume 211, february 2026, 103789 - open access -

The early Middle Pleistocene is characterized by a significant turnover in the fauna across Europe, creating new niches and new subsistence opportunities for hominin populations. Open-air sites provide a unique opportunity to study the distinct and effective resource acquisition strategies that were developed by hominins during this period. The archaeological site of Notarchirico (695–610 ka) is a key locality for the study of the behavior of hominin groups in the Italian Peninsula and Western Europe. The site is one of the few open-air sites to have yielded human remains, namely a femur fragment of Homo heidelbergensis, in such ancient chronologies. Notarchirico also yielded numerous lithic and faunal remains, although the latter, despite their abundance, have so far received scarce attention from a taphonomic perspective. Here we present a study of the site, including material from both ancient and modern collections. (...)

Context matters: Grăunceanu (Romania) is not an archaeological site, di L. Kindler, S. Gaudzinski-Windheuser, F. Scherjon, W. Roebroeks, "Journal of Human Evolution", volume 211, february 2026, 103786

The spatiotemporal distribution patterns of early hominins, as evidenced by fossil remains and lithic artefacts, provide critical insights into the range expansions and contractions of Pleistocene populations, from their African origins into Eurasia and beyond. Analyses of these patterns contribute to our understanding of both biological and cultural adaptations to diverse environments and to shifts in the human ecological niche. The primary data for reconstructing such distributions consist of hominin skeletal remains and, more frequently, stone artifacts. Utilizing these materials as reliable data points requires not only robust chronological frameworks but also clear identification of skeletal remains as hominin and the determination of whether lithic material is indeed of anthropogenic origin. (...)

Reconstructing dietary preferences in the Middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos population: A molar macrowear perspective, di L. Martín-Francés et alii, "Journal of Human Evolution", volume 211, february 2026, 103797 - open access -

Molar macrowear analysis is a valuable tool for inferring dietary preferences in extinct hominins, ultimately aiding in the reconstruction of subsistence strategies and paleoenvironmental conditions. Radiometric studies suggest that the Middle Pleistocene population from the Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos site likely lived during Marine Isotope Stage 12, one of the coldest global periods. In this study, we applied the occlusal fingerprint analysis method to maxillary M1s and M2s from this population to assess whether their macrowear patterns reflect these environmental conditions. Given the nature of the hominin accumulation and the limited availability of faunal, lithic, and pollen remains at the site, we rely on published data from the nearby Trinchera sites of Gran Dolina and Galería to reconstruct paleoecological conditions and subsistence strategies. (...)

Human Occupation of the Central Balkans During the Last Glacial Maximum: Evidence from Serbia, di S. Kuhn et alii, "Quaternary", volume 9, issue 1, february 2026 - open access -

This paper presents archeological data and chronometric dates documenting human presence in Serbia, central Balkans, during MIS 2. We describe findings from excavations at three cave sites and dating results from two additional localities. The evidence suggests that people were present in the area during the second half of the glacial peak between 25 and 19ka calBp. The chronological placement of these sites is complementary to what is known from adjoining regions, indicating that people may have occupied this part of the Balkans when they were not present elsewhere. All three excavated sites appear to represent short-term occupations, with relatively narrow ranges of activities, raising the question of whether they are fully representative of the land use system of foragers during MIS 2. (...)

From Prey to Pattern: Integrating Faunal and Behavioural Evidence of Neanderthal Subsistence at Fumane Cave (Unit A9), Northern Italy, di K. Rodrigo, N. Nannini, V. Facincani, M. De Lorenzi, M. Peresani, "Quaternary", volume 9, issue 1, february 2026 - open access -

This study presents a zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis of the previously unstudied component of the Mousterian faunal assemblage from Unit A9 at Grotta di Fumane (northeastern Italy), offering refined insights into Neanderthal subsistence behaviour during Marine Isotope Stage 3. Building on the previously published analysis of the principal portion of the assemblage, the new data reaffirm a subsistence strategy focused on selective transport and intensive on-site processing of high-utility carcass components. The ungulate assemblage—dominated by Cervus elaphus and Capreolus capreolus, with additional contributions from Rupicapra rupicapra and Capra ibex—is characterised by the dominance of hindlimb elements, moderate cranial representation, and a pronounced scarcity of axial remains.(...)

The chronology of the Petralona hominid remains a key issue in European Middle Pleistocene paleoanthropology. The recent study by Falguères et al., which reports new U-series ages of approximately 300 ka for travertines associated with the Petralona cranium, provides an important opportunity to reassess this long-standing debate. This commentary critically evaluates the strengths and limitations of that contribution, with particular attention to the treatment of analytical precision, geological uncertainties, and stratigraphic constraints inherent to speleothem dating. While the new data represent a valuable analytical advance and independently support a Middle Pleistocene age, the reported narrow error margins warrant cautious interpretation. (...)

Southern Iberian Rock Art: The Territory That Holds the Clues to Decipher the Whole Symbolic Path of Humanity, di G. Monge, M. I. Carretero, F. Ruíz, "Quaternary", volume 9, issue 1, february 2026 - open access -

This article reviews key data in the context of the Strait of Gibraltar from the Iberian perspective: a region of significant importance that boasts the highest concentration of rock art sites containing prehistoric paintings and engravings spanning the full spectrum of human rock art, from its inception to the recent historic period. This area is of exceptional value for investigating the replacement of hunter–gatherer–fisher groups by tribal community societies over time, as well as the transition from Neanderthals to Homo sapiens on both sides of the Strait. Current understanding of this resource is analysed and the main threats to it are addressed alongside possible solutions. (...)

A Return to Chalosse Cherts: An Integrated Approach Based on Field Survey, Petrography and Geochemical Analysis to Understand a Palaeolithic Tracer, di A. Prieto, J. Le Guirriec, A. Calvo, J. Alcaina, M. Sánchez de la Torre, "Geoarchaeology", volume 41, issue 1, january/february 2026, e70042 - open access -

The Pyrenees have been considered a natural barrier for prehistoric populations. However, in recent years, Palaeolithic research has established connections between the two sides through the analysis of cherts. Among others, the presence of Chalosse cherts in sites on the southern slopes of the Pyrenees has proven the mobility of objects and people from the northern to the southern slope. Nevertheless, this evidence must be reinforced, and the mobility circuits must be clarified. To answer these questions and also to formulate new hypotheses that allow a deeper understanding of past human subsistence practices, we revisited the cherts from the Chalosse region. To do so, we applied a geoarchaeological approach that puts together the analysis of geological cartography through GIS, field survey, in situ descriptions of strata, non-destructive and destructive petrography, and portable geochemistry (LIBS and X-ray fluorescence). (...)

The earliest elephant-bone tool from Europe: An unexpected raw material for precision knapping of Acheulean handaxes, di S. A. Parfitt, S. M. Bello, "Science Advances", volume 12, issue 4, 23 jan 2026 - open access -

Organic knapping tools made from bone, antler, and wood were essential to early human toolkits but are rarely preserved in the archeological record. The earliest known soft hammers, dating to ~480,000 years ago, come from Boxgrove (UK), where modified antlers and large mammal bones were used alongside flint hard hammers. These tools facilitated complex knapping techniques, such as platform preparation and tranchet flake removal, contributing to the production of finely worked ovate handaxes typical of the Boxgrove Acheulean industry. This study presents a cortical bone fragment from an elephant, deliberately shaped into a percussor for resharpening flint tools. It represents the earliest known use of elephant bone in Europe and the first documented case of its use as a knapping hammer. Reconstructing its life history offers further insights into Middle Pleistocene hominin technological adaptations, resourcefulness, and survival strategies that enabled humans to endure harsh northern environments. (...)

Far-reaching hunter-gatherer networks during the Last Glacial Maximum in Western Europe, di M. Sánchez De La Torre et alii, "Science Advances", volume 12, issue 4, 23 jan 2026 - open access -

Social networking is an essential feature of hunter-gatherer societies. It fosters the circulation of goods and information and enables kinship ties across different scales, including long-distance contacts. While such behaviors are known since at least the Upper Palaeolithic, evidence for geographically extensive social networks remains scarce. This evidence is limited to indirect inferences based on shared cultural traits, “art” styles, and symbolic items, while lithic raw material movements are mostly local and regional, with few cases exceeding 300 kilometers. We provide geochemical evidence for the largest confirmed distance between the source and discard location of a knapped lithic object in Palaeolithic Europe. Solutrean artifacts discarded at Peña Capón, Central Iberia, were sourced in Southwest France, 600 to 700 kilometers away. This demonstrates social networks of unprecedented geographic scale maintained during ~1400 years during the Last Glacial Maximum. It also suggests that stone tools were exchanged as symbolic items to solidify social contacts and sustain far-reaching networks as risk-buffering mechanisms among widely dispersed hunter-gatherers. (...)

Early hominins from Morocco basal to the Homo sapiens lineage, di J. J. Hublin et alii, "Nature", volume 649, issue 8098, 22 january 2026, pp. 902–908 - open access -

Palaeogenetic evidence suggests that the last common ancestor of present-day humans, Neanderthals and Denisovans lived around 765–550 thousand years ago (ka)1. However, both the geographical distribution and the morphology of these ancestral humans remain uncertain. The Homo antecessor fossils from the TD6 layer of Gran Dolina at Atapuerca, Spain, dated between 950 ka and 770 ka (ref. 2), have been proposed as potential candidates for this ancestral population3. However, all securely dated Homo sapiens fossils before 90 ka were found either in Africa or at the gateway to Asia, strongly suggesting an African rather than a Eurasian origin of our species. Here we describe new hominin fossils from the Grotte à Hominidés at Thomas Quarry I (ThI-GH) in Casablanca, Morocco, dated to around 773 ka. (...)

Earliest evidence of making fire, di R. Davis et alii, "Nature", volume 649, issue 8097, 15 january 2026, pp. 631–637

Fire-making is a uniquely human innovation that stands apart from other complex behaviours such as tool production, symbolic culture and social communication. Controlled fire use provided adaptive opportunities that had profound effects on human evolution. Benefits included warmth, protection from predators, cooking and creation of illuminated spaces that became focal points for social interaction. Fire use developed over a million years, progressing from harvesting natural fire to maintaining and ultimately making fire. However, determining when and how fire use evolved is challenging because natural and anthropogenic burning are hard to distinguish. Although geochemical methods have improved interpretations of heated deposits, unequivocal evidence of deliberate fire-making has remained elusive. Here we present evidence of fire-making on a 400,000-year-old buried landsurface at Barnham (UK), where heated sediments and fire-cracked flint handaxes were found alongside two fragments of iron pyrite—a mineral used in later periods to strike sparks with flint. (...)

The Early Acheulean on the Ethiopian highlands: The case of Gombore IB at Melka Kunture (Upper Awash, Ethiopia), di E. Méndez-Quintas, M. Mussi, "Quaternary International", volume 752, 15 january 2026, 110050

The problem of a relationship, if any, between Oldowan and Acheulean became at once relevant, with changing opinions through time (cfr. Gallotti and Mussi, 2018 for more details). After excavations in Bed II, Mary Leakey (1971; 1975) concluded that after the Oldowan a Developed Oldowan and an intrusive Lower Acheulean had been coexisting at Olduvai. More researchers had also started excavating relevant sites in Sub-Saharan Africa and notably, for the theme discussed in this issue, Jean Chavaillon who researched Melka Kunture since 1965. Chavaillon discovered there a major sequence of Acheulean sites (Chavaillon et al., 1979) concluding that, at least on the Ethiopian highlands, the Acheulean followed a unilinear evolution originating from the Oldowan (Chavaillon and Chavaillon, 1980). (...)

A kaleidoscope from a lost world: mesolithic harpoon morphology in Eastern Middle Sweden, di F. Lundström et alii, "World Archaeology", 13 Jan 2026, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2025.2603487 - open access -

Modern geometric techniques offer significant potential to uncover the worlds in which weapons were created, worlds shaped by specific environmental conditions and knowledge systems transmitted through established networks. We analysed the morphology of Mesolithic harpoon points from Eastern Middle Sweden to explore developments in craft and hunting techniques across the circum-Baltic Sea area, and to investigate if specific morphological traits are linked to regional environmental and faunal changes. We identified and separately analysed structural elements of the harpoon points, barbs, proximal and distal parts, and full-body silhouettes using geometric morphometrics and direct radiocarbon dating. Our results show that barb and proximal part shapes changed during the transition from the Early to the Middle Mesolithic in Eastern Middle Sweden which fits into broader superregional trends in craft and hunting techniques. (...)

Uncovering the time-depth of rock art: seriation and agency in the case of Levantine rock art of eastern Iberia, di J. F. Ruiz, "World Archaeology", 13 Jan 2026, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2025.2601696

Eastern Iberia is home to one of the largest concentrations of rock art sites in Europe. Most of them have been attributed to post-glacial graphic traditions created in open-air shelters, often with a considerable number of superimpositions. One such tradition is Levantine art, whose iconography is of great significance for understanding Holocene social practices on a continental scale. In this article, we approach the relative temporality of this rock art style through examination of sites with a multitude of superimpositions. (...)

Direct evidence for poison use on microlithic arrowheads in Southern Africa at 60,000 years ago, di S. Isaksson, A. Högberg, M. Lombard, "Science Advances", volume 12, issue 2, 9 jan 2026 - open access -

Poisoned weapons are a hallmark of advanced hunter-gatherer technology. Through targeted microchemical and biomolecular analyses, we identified traces of toxic plant alkaloids on backed microliths from Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, excavated from a level dated to 60,000 years ago. The alkaloids buphandrine and epibuphanisine only originate from Amaryllidaceae indigenous to southern Africa. The most likely source is Boophone disticha (L.f.) Herb. bulb exudate, also associated with historically documented arrow poisons. To our knowledge, we present the first direct evidence for the application of this plant-based poison on the tips of Pleistocene hunting weapons. The discovery highlights the complexity of subsistence strategies and cognition in southern Africa since the mid-Pleistocene. (...)

Earliest evidence of hominin bipedalism in Sahelanthropus tchadensis, di S. A. Williams, X. Wang, I. Araiza, J. S. Guerra, M. R. Meyer, J. K. Spear, "Science Advances", volume 12, issue 1, 2 jan 2026 - open access -

Bipedalism is a key adaptation that differentiates hominins (humans and our extinct relatives) from living and fossil apes. The earliest putative hominin, Sahelanthropus tchadensis (~7 million years old), was originally represented by a cranium, the reconstruction of which suggested to its discoverers that Sahelanthropus carried its head in a manner similar to known bipedal hominins. Recently, two partial ulnae and a femur shaft were announced as evidence in support of the contention that Sahelanthropus was an early biped, but those interpretations have been challenged. Here, while we find that both limb bones are most similar in size and geometric morphometric shape to chimpanzees (genus Pan), we demonstrate that their relative proportion is more hominin-like. Furthermore, we confirm two features linked to hominin-like hip and knee function and identify a femoral tubercle, a feature only found in bipedal hominins. Our results suggest that Sahelanthropus was an early biped that evolved from a Pan-like Miocene ape ancestor. (...)

Evidence of bipolar knapping of mammoth ivory at Medzhybizh A: Technological and experimental insights from a lower Palaeolithic context, di O. Naumenko, V. Stepanchuk, "Quaternary International", volume 751, 1 january 2026, 110049 - open access -

This paper presents the results of a technological and experimental study of mammoth ivory artefacts recovered from Layer II–I of the Medzhybizh A Lower Palaeolithic site in western Ukraine. Ivory is an unusual material in prehistoric knapping traditions, especially in earlier periods. Our experiments demonstrate that the workability of ivory depends strongly on its preservation state: over-dried specimens are brittle and fragment easily, while better-preserved ones allow more controlled knapping. The analysis identifies diagnostic traces of intentional modification on archaeological specimens, including bipolar on anvil knapping features, scars, facets, impact points, and intensive edge trimming. A deliberately shaped ivory pieces produced by knapping suggests that hominins at Medzhybizh A employed a flexible and opportunistic raw material strategy, occasionally experimenting with ivory as a substitute for lithic materials. (...)